Library Column for January 31, 2018

A new month begins tomorrow, which has to mean we can begin the see the light at the end of the winter tunnel, right? But as we wait for warmer weather books will keep us sane and not too grumpy. Here are some fun, silly, light-hearted books for the month of February.

Lee Lynch has written a love story about Minnesota in Amazing MN. The book is state rankings and unusual information about the state. He wrote the book after spending many years as an advertising executive in the Twin cities. He subtitles the book ‘with less than 2% of the nation’s population, Minnesota is a model for prosperity, creativity and quality of life.’ Borrow this book and learn what is best about this state in Mr. Lynch’s ode to the state.

Short stories can be a great option for finding new authors, but they can also be a lot of fun. Robots vs Fairies edited by Dominik Parisien and Mavah Wolfe contains eighteen stories on the ultimate death match between the mechanical and the magical. Who will come out on top? Do you prefer fairies or robots? And for a beautiful story to share with youth in your life come borrow The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill. Greta is an apprentice blacksmith who finds a lost Tea Dragon in the marketplace, a story that makes me want to find my own Tea Dragon to raise.

Regional author Margo Hanson has recently published the final book in her Tall Timber Trilogy Brother Beloved. It is set in Minnesota logging camps of days of yore. Susan May Warren’s fourth Montana Rescue story, Troubled Waters is now available.

Come check out a game or kit to use together as a family. Play Dixit and create beautiful stories, borrow the Voyageurs National Park backpack and explore the park through the people who have lived in the area.

Storytimes continue on Thursday mornings at 10:30 am with exploration of a different letter of the alphabet each week through books, rhymes and more, followed by an opportunity for kids to play with early learning toys.

Digital content is an important part of library materials these days. We work with the Arrowhead Library System to offer digital e-books and audiobooks available to anyone with a card in the seven county system through Overdrive and their new app Libby. We also offer Hoopla to residents of Koochiching County. All residents with a card from the International Falls Public Library can now access Hoopla for digital comic books, audio books, e-books, movies, music and tv shows. Each resident is limited to eight digital items a month through Hoopla. Visit the library for more information or visit hoopladigital.com to sign up and start borrowing. Please let us know if you have difficulties. Visit our website at https://www.internationalfallslibrary.us for links to all our digital content, including free access to the New York Times, Consumer Reports, legal forms and career guidance through a resource called Career Transitions.